John Agar (yeah!), Nestor Pavia (YEAH!), and HUGH BEAUMONT (huh?!) stumble across an underground soceity that worships Ishtar (The Goddess, not the movie) just in time to help the monstrous looking slaves revolt against their slimey overlords. As far as fifties schlock goes this is okay, but nothing special. It does help to be in a nostalgic mood for it to go down easier. I hated the ending as a kid and as an adult. 2 slimes.

Gappa, The Triphibian Monsters (1967):

Gap-paaaaaah! Gap-paaaaah! My what an irritating lyric. The movie itself is a mildly amusing spoof of Kaiju Hijinx. The effects are good and the suits are slightly more suit looking than usual, probably since this movie was intended more as comedy than a metroplis mashing spectacle. Look for the octopus snack hanging from Momma Gappa's mouth as she lumbers ashore looking for her baby, it's a hoot! The ending is both hilarious and heartwarming. Near the beginning you can see just where Emmerich and Devlin got that Deanzilla on a fishhook gag from. Plagarists. Nice change of pace though, but not something I'll be watching again anytime soon. 3 slimes.

Jason and the Argonauts (1963):

I think I am making a fair assumption when I say that fans and critics agree that this is the indisputable masterpiece of Ray Harryhausen's career. Never has his work looked better, more seamless and life like (although my wife dismisses all these movies as "phony animations" which she proceeds to mock by moving around the house in those trademarked jittery motions they make). Also the movie itself is tightly written (something that cannot be said of other films featuring, or built around, Harryhausen's effects) and exceptionally well directed (no insult to Nathan Juran, but Don Chaffey's work here just blows him right out of the water). The Hydra is a technical masterwork, although the six skeleton sword fight is the undisputed crowd pleaser (movies from Raimi's Army of Darkness to the overly buffoonish revision of The Mummy have paid *cough* 'homage' to it). My favor bit is when a skeleton lets out a blood curdling rebel yell as they go on the attack. This is a 5 slime masterpiece and the DVD looks beautiful, the picture so sharp and clear and clean it makes you weep with joy and wonder. Required viewing.